New Registrations Drop by 80 Per Cent.
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NEARLY five times as many mechanically propelled vehicles were registered for the first time in the year ended December 31, 1939. as in 1945. In 1939, 381.627 new vehicles were registered, against only 77,880 last year. These figures do not include vehicles used by the Forces.
Registrations of new tractors fell from 490 in 1939 to 155 in 1945. although registrations of new goods vehicles used for agricultural purposes rose from 1,060 to 1,330. Twenty-six petrol vehicles for use by local authorities for watering and cleansing were registered last year, whereas 90 were newly commissioned in 1939.
50 Per Cent. Fewer Goods Vehicles New registrations of goods electric vehicles, other than those used for agricultural, showmen's duties and municipal cleansing service, totalled 370 last year. Two producer-gas vehicles, 26,465 petrol vehicles and 1,121 oilers, all for goods transport, appeared for the first time in 1945. Comparative figures for 1939 are not available. The total of goods vehicles registered for the first time dropped from 61,413 in 1939 to 29.316 last year.
As regards hackney vehicles, 115 electrically propelled, 587 petrolengined and 1.468 oil-engined vehicles were registered last year. the total of 2,170 comparing with 6,988 in 1939.
Operators of goods vehicles paid £12,565,000 in taxation in 1939 and the figure for 1945 showed little change at £12,345,000. Taxation on hackney vehicles, other than trains, rose from 0,586,000 in 1939 to £4,080,000 in 1945. Operators of mechanically propelled vehicles as a whole paid 04,858,000 in licence duties in 1939 and 04,515,000 in 1945. including the cost of drivers' licences.
At November 30, 1945. licences were current for a total of approximately 2,582.900 mechanicAly propelled vehicles, against 2,628,600 in 1939. Goods vehicles numbered 478,100 last year, and 463,500 in 1939. Figures for hackneys, other than tramcars, were 98,200 in 1945 and 67,400 in 1939.
These figures are contained in Return No. 132, " Road Vehicles, Great Britain, 1939-1945," issued by the Ministry of Transport and published by H.M. Stationery Office at 4d. The previous return of this kind was dated September 5, 1939, and publication was thereafter suspended for reasons of national security. Return No. 132 covers the years 1939-1945, inclusive, and all available figures are shown, so that continuity of information is secured.
The total number of mechanically propelled vehicles licensed reached its lowest letel in 1943, the decline between 1939 and that date having been fairly progreSsive. In 1943 the number was only 1,574,700, but since then it has risen steadily. The years 1943 and 1944 marked the lowest ebb in new registrations, the figures for both years having been a little above 58,000. Those, it will be remembered, were the peak years in the production of war materials.